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ICANN: New gTLD Program Auctions – 10 October – Updated Auction Schedule

The Auction Schedule is updated as of 10 October 2014 to reflect eligible contention sets as well as accommodated postponements, which were provided to those where each member of the contention set requested a postponement. In addition, April and May 2015 Auction Dates have been added to the Planned Auction Date chart.

 

30 September 2014 – New gTLD Auction Rules Update

The Auction Rules were recently updated to clarify the use of the Auction Date Advancement/Postponement Request Form. The form is due at least 45 days prior to a scheduled Auction Date. In addition, clarification is added to the default process. If a Winner is declared in default, any remaining Bidder that withdraws its Application from the New gTLD Program will not be eligible to receive an offer to have its Application accepted. Please find the latest version in the link below.

Understanding Auctions

Overview

Contention sets are groups of applications containing identical or confusingly similar applied for gTLD strings. Contention sets must be resolved prior to the execution of a Registry Agreement for an applied-for gTLD string. An ICANN facilitated auction is a last resort for resolving string contention sets, as described in the Applicant Guidebook (AGB) section 4.3.

Auctions will be conducted over the Internet using a procedure known as an ascending-clock auction, where the auctioneer successively increases the start-of-round and end-of-round prices, on a per auction round basis. Applicants within the contention set must submit bids to indicate their willingness to pay an amount within the defined price range in the auction round. As the price of the auction rounds increase, applicants may successively choose to exit the auction. When a sufficient number of applications have exited the auction process, so that the remaining application(s) are no longer in contention with one another, and all the relevant string(s) can be delegated as gTLDs, the auction will be deemed concluded. At this point, prevailing applicants that remained in the auction will pay the finalized price and proceed toward delegation.

The total amount of funding resulting from auctions, will not be known until all relevant applications have completed this step. Auction proceeds will be reserved and earmarked until the uses of funds are determined by the Board through consultation with the community. Click here to view the current status of the Auction proceeds and costs.

Auction Eligibility

A string contention set will be eligible to enter into a New gTLD Program Auction under the following circumstances only:

  • All active applications in the contention set have:
    • Passed evaluation
    • Resolved any applicable GAC advice
    • Resolved any objections
    • No pending ICANN Accountability Mechanisms
  • Each applied-for gTLD in the contention set is:
    • Not classified as “High-Risk” per the Name Collision Occurrence Management Plan

Auction Resources

Questions?

  • Applicants:Submit an inquiry via the Customer Service Portal
  • Non-Applicants:Email us at
    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This ICANN announcement was sourced from:
http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/auctions